Team Brigham Beats the Heat to Complete Boston Marathon

At mile 24 of Monday’s Boston Marathon, Team Brigham runner Kim Chavez got a boost of energy. Her mother, Nancy, a breast cancer survivor, joined her on the course for a few strides in Coolidge Corner.

“It was an incredible feeling,” said Chavez, a BWH research assistant, who finished her first marathon in just under five hours. “To have my mom there meant the world to me. There are going to be so many things I’ll remember about running the Boston Marathon and being part of Team Brigham.”

Team Brigham member Kim Chavez with her mother, Nancy, show off the medal Chavez earned after completing the Marathon.

Chavez was among the 56 Team Brigham runners who competed in the 116th Boston Marathon April 16 amid temperatures that climbed to near 90 degrees.

“Marathon Monday was the culmination of months of hard work for team members who not only committed themselves to arduous training, but also to raise funds for BWH community programs,” said Katie Fallon, events officer in the BWH Development Office, who greeted runners at the the team’s headquarters in the Prudential Fitcorp after the race.

Runner Theresa Bradt, RN, of the Emergency Department, cherished the sight of her ED co-workers at Fitcorp when she arrived after crossing the finish line in Copley Square.
“To have my colleagues there to welcome me after the race was priceless. It was such a special moment for me to share with them,” said Bradt, who also ran with Team Brigham in 2008. This year, she completed the race in just over four hours.

ED staff were on hand at Fitcorp to ensure that every runner received appropriate medical attention post-race.

“Our team of residents, nurses and emergency services assistants provided medical care for our Team Brigham athletes,” said Eric Goralnick, MD. “We received great logistical support from Fitcorp staff, Anthony Mastrocola of Security and the BWH Development Office.”

Before the race began in Hopkinton that morning, many runners were anxious about the weather forecast, which predicted record-breaking temperatures.

Pharmacist Jorge Delgado along the marathon route.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought once I got going,” said Michelle Foster, of Wellesley, who was running her first marathon with Team Brigham. “But it was definitely on my mind, so I tried pacing myself during the entire race and drank lots of fluids.”

The overall sense of achievement on finishing the Boston Marathon was a dream come true for many Team Brigham runners, who celebrated with family and friends at Fitcorp.

“It was definitely an experience of a lifetime,” said Stephen Christensen, a technical research assistant at the Channing Lab.